Not a game Max
by Phillipe363
Summary: Unlike in the show Terry puts his foot down more firmly with Max because there will be no Maxine Gibson joining him as a partner. Bruce already is one, so he doesn't need her. Terry gives Max a choice end her hacking or go to prison. Will she take it? Find out.


**Hello readers**

**I decided to write up a story dealing with the Max Gibson problem from the show in the first episode Max appeared in. Frankly, the Max character is not exactly on my favorites list but my bigger issue is with her character being forced into the show.**

**Batman Beyond season 1 was great, really felt like it could be a worthy successor to Batman The Animated Series only in the two remaining seasons it went downhill. Batman Beyond was a show with great potential that didn't live up to it.**

**Why? Because come season 2 the studio executives forced themselves in by cutting out the plans for writers Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and the rest had for more villains like Derek Powers, or Derek/Bright coming back and other stuff like mentioning the GCPD being corrupt in episode 1 never went anywhere.**

**Instead, in season 2 the studio people wanted the show to be Terry deals with villains from high school and they forced Max Gibson into the show so could have more diversity. **

**Max Gibson is a hacker who forced herself into Terry's life and by season 3 completely had absorbed every other character. Like Bruce kept getting pushed aside for small scenes or not in the episode at all, as Max took over his role, Terry's family kept dwindling and even took over Dana's role for being his friend there. Despite Max not becoming his girlfriend. **

**People signed on to watch the Wayne and Terry show, but got cheated into watching the Terry/Max show with Terry dumbed down to justify her.**

**Like Terry can set his own traps in episodes like Shriek or Ace in the hole but Max in April Moon episode does it for him. Terry used to be good at math like in Earth Mover stated that his scientist father drilled him in math to give him an edge in life, but later needs Max's help with a math problem. We know Terry's good with computers in various episodes in the series.**

**Only Terry got dumbed down so Max could be the one to do all the computer searches, and various other stuff making it, so Terry was near useless without her.**

**It also implies Bruce Wayne hasn't taught him anything which is a disservice to him as well.**

**Max's forced use on the show might have been from the studio heads but that garbage I blame on the Bruce Timm and the other writers themselves.**

**On with the story**

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High school computer lab

Terry walks over to another desk with propping himself on it while looking at Max Gibson.

"All the information you have on me as Batman is gone, already had a friend of mine take care of it," Terry says.

"Well maybe this is a good thing I know; you finally have someone to share your secret with and besides I can help," Max says.

"I already have someone," Terry says thinking of Bruce "I don't need you."

"Oh, come on, I can help you in your adventure," Max says happily.

Scowling "Adventure? It's not, I don't do this for fun. I do this because it needs to be done, it's a mission. Not a fun skate park" Terry replies harshly.

"Okay so I have a lot to learn then if I'll be working with you," Max says.

Terry gives a full-on dark glare while standing up as Max can feel the temperature in the room drop, and fear creeps up her spine. Because Max realizes with dread, she's no longer talking to McGinnis but rather the Dark Knight. Gibson can only eyes widen in slight fear as Terry walks over with putting his hands on either side of the chair.

"You hack people's lives for fun because you get bored, between coming up with a program to find possible Jokerz regardless of how stupid that is, tracking down who Batman is and you think I'll take you on as my partner because you're blackmailing me?" Terry asks rhetorically his voice dropping to his Batman tone.

"That's not what I'm" Max begins but gets cut off.

"It's exactly what you are doing. I don't have any need or desire to deal with a stupid high school hacker. My friend did a little digging of his own and discovered your past hacking attempts, like nearly everybody in this when compiling information. I have enough information to put you in Blackgate for life as a cyber-terrorist" Terry growls.

"You wouldn't," Max says in disbelief and fear "And if you do what's stopping you from me telling everyone."

"My friend deleted everything concerning me first and if you did you would just be some teenager screaming your head off pointlessly. And there those from my enemies who would prefer if Batman remained Batman, not some kid behind a mask. Terry McGinnis is not the face of their nightmares" Terry replies harshly "You figure out how long you would last."

"And this is supposed to scare me? You're just testing me, right?" Max asks delusional hopeful.

"No, I'm not, you want an adventure take up reading books. Leave your hacking behind because I'll be watching and if you do, I'll put you in the GCPD's custody within twenty-four hours" Terry growls warningly.

"Sorry but I'm not going to quit. I want to be a part of your job" Max says.

McGinnis removes his hands as Max looks over to see Commissioner Barbara Gordon Young standing there holding out a pair of handcuffs. Max's eyes widen in fear as it fully sinks in.

"Stand up Ms. Gibson, you're under arrest," Barbara says.

"You can't do this" Max protests.

"Actually, she can because earlier this morning Commissioner Gordon got a file containing various crimes all listed back to you for hacking innocent people's lives, not to mention school files. That's a federal crime" Terry replies.

Glaring "You are two-faced hypocrite given your nightlife, you break those same laws all the time," Max says angrily.

"Not completely wrong but I'm doing it for the betterment of Gotham City. Not out of boredom" Terry replies coldly.

Barbara walks over as Max stands up with Barbara placing Gibson's hands behind her back and cuffing her reading the teenage girl her rights before leading Mx out of the room.

Terry sighs since while didn't want to end things this way with giving the girl a choice, Max Gibson chose to be a bullheaded idiot thinking this was all a game.

Shaking off those thoughts Terry heads out of the room ready for the day to be over so he can hopefully spend a few hours with Matt, before leaving for a patrol.

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**I hope you all enjoyed this and leave a review letting me know what you think if you want.**

**Until next time**


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